Statement of Adrian Fontes Arizona Secretary of State U.S. Senate Committee on Rules &Administration

Senate Committee on Rules &Administration Hearing on “Ongoing Threats to Elections Administration” November 1, 2023 Chairwoman Klobuchar, Ranking Member Fischer, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss ongoing threats to elections administration in the State of Arizona and the preparations we are making to ensure our democratic process is safe and accessible for the. [...] • Hiring the first statewide Chief Information Security Officer dedicated to elections to guide and provide support to local and county officials in the 3 areas of cyber and physical security in coordination with state and federal security officials. [...] We are taking proactive steps to build voter trust, and preparing election officials for this challenging new threat environment, including: • Working with our partners at the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) on a nonpartisan initiative to highlight state and local election officials as the credible, verified sourc. [...] More Federal Assistance Needed to Address the Growing Threat to our Elections Federal agencies have been crucial partners to our efforts to address the threats to election administration and prepare for the 2024 Presidential election cycle and beyond. [...] We appreciate the efforts of the USPS to prioritize and protect election mail, and partner with us on best practices for ensuring every ballot is received in time to be counted, even in the most rural and remote areas of my state.